Are you like many people, with an aching back at the end of the day or worried about lifting an object due to your back going out? You are not alone, over 80% of the population will suffer back pain at one time or another in their life according to CDC data. It is the price we pay for walking upright on two legs. However, the majority of back pain is non-specific, meaning that there is not a primary cause, such as a fracture or disc protrusion.
Health & The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
What is Really Causing Your BACK PAIN? It Could Be Your Hips...
Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Are you like many people, with an aching back at the end of the day or worried about lifting an object due to your back going out? You are not alone, over 80% of the population will suffer back pain at one time or another in their life according to CDC data. It is the price we pay for walking upright on two legs. However, the majority of back pain is non-specific, meaning that there is not a primary cause, such as a fracture or disc protrusion. As physical therapists, we know that a high percentage of people suffering with back pain actually have 3 common problems or a combination of them all: • Poor posture • Weak core and gluteus muscles • Poor hip flexibility How tight hip ligaments can cause low back pain Your hip joints have to travel through a very large range of motion. There are thick Y shaped ligaments that surround the hip joints called the iliofemoral ligaments, which provide support. However, with prolonged sitting over weeks, months or years, these ligaments shrink, reducing the natural movement of the hip joints. Whenever you walk, instead of your hips moving naturally, the ligaments yank and pull on the pelvis, which is attached to your spine. This causes inflammation, strain and pain to the back muscles. Furthermore, the loss of hip motion can even cause your pelvis to tilt, altering the posture of your spine and increasing strain. By improving hip mobility, back pain can typically be relieved quite quickly. When you suffer from back pain, make sure that you have an expert physical therapist look at your movement. Even though your back may ache, it may not be the source of your problem. Call us today to discover how our SPINE Program can pinpoint the cause of your pain, relieve it quickly and teach you how to maintain a healthy spine. Are Your Hips Killing Your Back?
www.pt-specialties.com
Exercise Essentials Try these simple exercises to help keep you loose and pain-free... Share this with a friend or family member to help keep them healthy, too!
Stretches Hips
Strengthens Hips
HIP FLEXION AROM - BENT KNEE Strengthen your hip by first standing with good pos- ture. Lift one leg up. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to the start position with control. Alternate legs.
WALL SQUAT Strengthen your quadricep muscles by standing with back against wall. Perform a squatting motion, sliding down the wall. Hold for 10 seconds. Rise up, straightening at the hip. Repeat 6 times.
Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
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Lift knee high
Who do you know that needs our help?
Refer a Friend Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely
9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyle
If you know someone suffering with aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Physical Therapy Specialties today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly for a Physical Therapy Consultation.
ould feel a stretch on the inside of your leg
Ida PT and Mary D.
Call Today! 925.417.8005
LOWER YOUR STRESS AND PAIN LEVEL NATURALLY
Everyone says we should breathe deeply when we are stressed, but how does that make you feel less stressed? Your body’s stress hormones are regulated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and the Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS turns on our fight or flight response under high stress levels. The PNS turns down the nervous system to help us keep calm. It helps us to sleep, relax and promotes drowsiness by lowering our heart rate and slowing our breathing. The Vagas Nerve comes from the brain and touches every organ in our body. It is responsible for controlling our Parasympathetic Nervous System and the relaxation response. The PNS releases neurotransmitters acetylcholine that helps your body to communicate with your diaphragm.
As you continue breathing your muscles will relax, dropping your worries. The oxygen supply to your body increases and helps produce endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones. Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing like this helps the Brain, Pain/Inflammation, and Positive Emotion. It helps to fight depression, improve memory, lower blood pressure and heart rate and boost the immune system. When you take deep breaths and relax and expand your diaphragm, your Vagas System is stimulated and you instantly turn on the Parasympathetic Nervous System, your cortisol levels are reduced and your brain heals, inflammation decreases, and you feel good. Hope you find this helpful! Give our office a call if we can answer any questions: (925)417-8005.
How do I activate my Vagas nerve to promote relaxation? Practice deep diaphragmatic breathing, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
• Breathe slowly
• Breathe deeply, from the belly
• Exhale longer than you inhale
Take a deep slow breath in through your nose to the count of 5 letting the air fill your lungs, letting your stomach expand by an inch or two. Hold for a second, then exhale fully through pursed lips. Most people take about 10 -14 breaths per minute. Ideally reduce your breathing to 5-7 times per minute. Make your breathing a conscious process, not a subconscious one. This skill is inborn in each of us but often lies dormant from stress of everyday life. Reawakening it allows you to tap into one of your body’s strongest self-healing mechanisms.
by Darlene Philippe
www.pt-specialties.co
Patient Spotlights What our patients have to say!
“PTS has been an important component in treating my back issue. I have a unique condition which causes my left back to get very tight which limits my range of motion. Stephen patiently listens to my feedback and applies various techniques to give me the relief I need. I like the way he treats my back because he will not give me the ‘textbook answers’ to my questions. As I’ve been to a few physical therapy facilities and often they won’t spend time to listen to my concerns. Stephen is the only one who understands my situation and works with me to get rid of the pain and increase my mobility. I highly recommend PTS to anyone who has back issues.” Allen C.
Patricia L. with therapist Stephen George
Joseph C. with the therapist Shahrin Ahmad
“My therapy treatment was a success! I have my range of motion back and the pain in my ankle is gone. Shahrin PT was very good, she gave me exercises along with manual therapy techniques to help with the flexibility. The strength in my ankle is back to normal.” Joseph C.
I came to PTS to be fitted for a leg brace. When injury occurred in my leg it threw my entire gait off which caused me to have lots of pain in my back. Stephen not only helped me with the brace he addressed my back issues and explained to me why I was having the pain. He gave me an exercise regime to do at home and did some hands onmobilities to help ease my back pain. He is amazing! Patricia L. Talk to the experts! • Caitlin Cooper, PT • Jennifer Freitas, PT • Stephen George, PT • Melissa Giustino, PT • Ida Hirst, PT
“I have been coming to Physical Therapy Specialties (PTS), off and on, for many years. Each time I return, it is like coming home to family. The people here really care about you and helping you recover and improve your quality of life. From the front office staff, to the PT Assistants, and the FANTASTIC Physical Therapists, they all are compassionate and caring people. One of the most recent things I have learned is that the body can present with pain in places that really are not the root cause of the issue. Last year, I was coming to PTS for therapy after receiving injections in my back and hip for pain. It was difficult to determine if the hip was pulling on the back or vice versa. After collaborative care frommy orthopedic doctor, my DO doctor, and my PT, it was determined that I would need a hip replacement. We were not sure how that would impact the pain in my back. I received the hip replacement late last year. I resumed care here at PTS for recovery from the surgery. I have been working with Ida Hirst and, as always, I have received excellent care as I recover! Shortly after surgery, I was no longer experiencing the back pain and we were able to focus on rebuilding the muscle strength to support my new hip. The facility here at PTS includes a therapy pool that is not offered at many facilities. My recovery has been greatly improved by working with Ida to develop a regimen of pool exercises that my body could not perform on land. I have been able to build my muscle strength and my flexibility. I also have exercises to do at home. The therapists are excellent at explaining how each exercise is working to improve the condition. When I understood what I should be expecting to feel or see, it was easier to correctly perform the exercises. I believe the strengthening exercises supporting my back last year has helped my recovery from the surgery. It is a wonderful feeling to go from a walker, to a cane, then a limp, to walking upright again! I would like to thank PTS and, especially Ida, for helping me experience the evolution of man (or woman) in my recovery!!” Mary D. “It is a wonderful feeling to go from a walker, to a cane, then a limp, to walking upright again!”
• Michael Petrak, PT • Shahrin Ahmad, PT • Shabeeba Shafi, PT • Dina Stepanek, PT
Email us: Ida@pt-specialties.com CALL TODAY! 925.417.8005
How Healthy Are Your Hips? Try these simple tests to see if your hips are causing your back pain
Hip Mobility Test • Lie on your back with your legs straight out. • Cross one ankle above the other knee cross legged in a figure 4 position. • Keep your ankle pressed on the other leg, but now lower the raised knee to the side. Does it lower close to the ground? • Repeat on the other side and see if there is a difference. • This might indicate a hip motion problem and cause pain in the back or hip discomfort on that side. You can easily check your hip motion by doing the following tests. If you discover your hip motion is limited, you feel pain or strong discomfort, it’s time to get your hips checked by our physical therapy professionals. Try these tests and see how mobile your hips are:
Hip Squatting Test • Keep your knees parallel facing forward. • Squat down as far as you can keeping your feet and heels flat on the floor. • If you feel a lot of pressure in your knees or calf muscles, you could have a hip movement problem. • Try again in front of amirror. Does your body want to go to one side? This can indicate a hip motion problem on one side.
Come Back In For A Consultation Whether you want to come in for a check-up, suffered a recent injury or you want to improve your health, a doctor referral is not needed. In the state of California you have direct access to physical therapy!
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See our physical therapists for: • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains • Back and neck pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties
Improve your health naturally
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